Everything I Have
by Dakota-Jones
Summary: River wasn't the only Tam that the Alliance meddled with to further their agenda... Mal::Simon, slash, violence, language, nothing too bad.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Everything I Have

Author: DJ (sexorcist on LJ)

Pairing: Mal/Simon

Spoilers: All kinds of spoilers for BDM, not that many from the series.

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Violence and slash, that's about it.

Feedback: Love it lots!

Disclaimer: If I owned Firefly, I wouldn't be a poor college kid.

Author's Note: I'm trying to update this fic once a day. I'll do my best to keep on that!

Summary: River wasn't the only Tam that the Alliance meddled with to further their agenda…

* * *

**Introduction**

"Don't worry, sir. We thoroughly screen all subjects before entering them into the system. The information is guaranteed safe until you need it."

Colonel Jameson sneered. "I would hope so. This information is vital to the current situation on the outer planets. I'll have your rank stripped if you've lost it," he said darkly, ducking to follow the small man through a doorway. He still wasn't sure about this system, not at all; he didn't trust the newfangled science.

"In the four years that this program has been in place, we've not once lost a capsule," Liane continued, entering a small, brightly lit room filled with computers. "Even after the death of the subject we can go in and fish the chip out of the body."

"What if the body is destroyed? Burned, or blown up?"

"The chip is contained in a fireproof, unbreakable capsule," Liane said proudly. "The only thing that could possibly break open that capsule would be putting it back in the chamber it was sealed in to reverse the process."

Liane sat down at a computer and booted up the capsule system. "What's the ID number on that one?"

The Colonel rattled off a series of numbers and letters, and Liane entered the code into the computer. He pressed the 'track' button, and the computer began its search. The Colonel watched carefully, apprehension clear on his chiseled features.

"And none of the subjects know?" he asked as the codes scrolled down the screen. Liane shook his head.

"No, sir. It's easy enough for them to have an _accident_ in the office, get knocked out, we implant the chip, and they wake up no worse for wear. They never know they're a walking dictionary of classified information, and even if they did, they'd have no way to access the information. All the better for them, I say."

The computer beeped and a profile popped up on the screen. Liane leaned forward, beginning to read the implantation information.

"You chip was implanted into a Core Trauma Surgeon, sir. Three and a half years ago. Still living."

"Bring up the man's information."

Liane pressed a few more buttons, and a name and picture popped up on the screen. The Colonel recognized the picture of the young, handsome doctor; he'd recognize that picture anywhere, as would any other Alliance officer.

"Simon Tam. _Fucking hell_."

* * *

**Chapter One**

"How far out are we?" Mal asked, setting his hands on the back of Zoe's chair.

"Twenty minutes, sir."

"How much fuel did we have at last check?"

"Ten minutes worth."

"Oh," Mal looked around the cockpit. "Anything we can burn for that last ten minutes?"

"Nope."

"Hmm. Better fly faster, then."

Zoe smirked. "Will do, Captain."

Seemingly unconcerned about the fuel situation, Mal left the cockpit and headed back to where Kaylee and Jayne were lounging at the table. Jayne was telling Kaylee all about his newest weapon, one he'd acquired on the previous job.

"Jayne, you still got that emergency fuel stored?" he asked, interrupting the mercenary mid-sentence.

"Well, I _did_."

"And why don't you now?"

"Cap'n, a gun like this don't just pop outta the ground. You gotta _barter_."

"So…you bartered off our emergency fuel for a gun?"

"Ain't just any gun, Mal, this is Mac!"

"Hope _Mac_ can survive a crash landing, then."

Kaylee finally joined the conversation, standing up. "We gonna crash again?"

"S'a good possibility," Mal said, leaving the lounge as Kaylee muttered something about couplings and engine speed. He went straight to the infirmary, where the doctor was cleaning and River was reading aloud from some kind of medical journal.

"Doc, River, strap yourselves in. This could get bumpy."

Simon winced visibly. "I just finished cleaning up from the _last_ bumpy landing…"

Mal ignored his complaining. "And have your bag at hand, there's probably gonna be inj-"

The ship shuddered and almost sent both Simon and Mal careening to the floor. Simon grabbed onto the counter to steady himself, and Mal stumbled and grabbed onto Simon's arm to keep himself from falling. The turbulence passed, and Simon sighed with relief before giving Mal's hand a pointed look and clearing his throat. Mal realized where his hand still was and quickly let go.

"You okay?" he asked Simon, tripping over the words a little.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," Simon said, immediately looking to see if River was okay before turning back to Mal. "You, uh…better go make sure we don't crash."

River looked between the two of them with a smirk, and then jumped down off the bed. "Come on, Simon," she said, and with one last curious glance at Mal, Simon followed her out.

Shaken, Mal paused to gather his bearings before heading back up to the bridge, where Zoe was carefully maneuvering her way through the atmosphere of the planet.

"She holdin' up?"

Zoe nodded. "Kaylee did one of her fancy engine tricks back there, that was the shudder you felt. Hopin' it'll hold her together to settle down."

"Always knew I kept that girl on board fer a reason," Mal joked, his eyes locking for a few moments on the plastic dinosaurs sitting on top of the console. Zoe followed his gaze, and her grip tightened on the controls.

"I'll bring her down light as a feather, Captain."

"I know ya will."

"Kaylee, if I didn't want to eat tonight, I'd give you a raise," Mal said after Kaylee explained just what she'd done to keep them from crashing.

"No need, Cap'n," she said with a bright smile. "All in a day's work, right?"

Kaylee had been acting more like her chipper self lately; ever since Simon broke things off with her, Mal had begun to wonder if he'd ever see her really smile again. It was nice that she was finally showing signs of getting over the whole thing.

They found themselves in the bustling marketplace of a town as they left the ship docking area, and Mal took a deep breath, the smells of fresh fruit, fish, and incense creating an odd mixture in the humid air. The ground below his feet was soft from recent rain, and he watched as River did her best to avoid stepping on the earthworms that were wriggling up from the moist dirt. Occasionally Simon would reach out and take her arm to help her balance; not that she needed the help.

"Mal? Did you even hear me?"

Mal snapped out of his trance, looking away from the sibling pair to where Zoe was beckoning him. He tugged at his collar and adjusted his gun belt.

"I'm listenin'," he insisted, and Zoe rolled her eyes.

"Then tell us where we're going."

Mal gestured down the street to a small pub. "I'm meetin' our contact there. You guys can do as you please till I'm done. I won't need backup for this one."

Jayne snorted. "Every time you say that you end up needin' backup."

"Shut it, Jayne."

Mal watched as River dragged Simon off to a merchant stand, and he couldn't help but get distracted again. Simon stuck out like a sore thumb around here, with his neatly pressed white shirt and blue silk vest, not to mention his clean, styled hair. He'd more than once wondered what Simon's hair _felt_ like, and was tempted to run his fingers through it, just once.

With Simon's looks, it was a wonder the young doctor hadn't gotten mugged on any of these strange planets.

Mal finally managed to tear his eyes away from Simon, mainly because River caught him staring. He pushed open the doors to the pub and stepped inside, immediately spotting Tony sitting at a table in the back, hunched over a drink with his hat pulled down low. He wasn't hard to find, considering the fact that the place was nearly empty. Mal walked over and sat down across from him, ordering a drink from the waitress as she passed.

"You wanted to talk business?" Mal asked, and Tony finally looked up from his drink.

"I have a shipment for you to deliver. Make you a good deal on it."

"What are we transportin'?"

Tony smirked. "Horses."

Mal raised an eyebrow. "Horses. On a ship."

"You heard me. A farm a few miles from here has been developing a new breed. They wanted me to find them someone who could not only handle the shipment, but handle live cargo. They don't want the breed in cryo until they know what kind of effect it'll have," Tony explained. "I told them you were the best bet for the job."

Mal snorted. "First takeoff and those horses will be dead from shock. Horses ain't made to fly."

Tony dug around in his bag, pulled out a sack of money, and dropped it on the table. It made a considerable 'clunk'. "That's just the down payment, Reynolds. At the end of the route you get that much for each horse you've transported alive."

"How many horses?"

"Four. Breeding stock. Two mares and two stallions."

Mal looked down at the bag, and then he smirked and picked it up off the table, pocketing it. "You've made yourself a deal, Tony."

"_Mal!_"

Mal turned his head at the sound of his name, and he stood up as Simon burst into the pub, dragging River along behind him.

"Simon, what the gorramn hell is going on?" Mal asked, drawing his gun.

"They tried to shoot her. They tried to shoot River," Simon explained breathlessly. River shook her head slowly.

"They weren't aiming for me…"

The doors slammed open behind them, and Mal stepped forward, putting himself between the doors and the brother and sister. Two men sauntered in, guns drawn, and they stopped a few feet from Mal. Mal recognized them from his previous visit to this planet- nasty sort, usually in the business of robbing travelers.

"Denny. Phil," he said with a frown. "Some reason you're makin' to murder my crew?"

"You ain't heard, Reynolds?" Denny said, looking past Mal to grin cheekily at the pair standing behind him. "Alliance's got a nice reward out of Tam's head, dead or alive."

"They ain't after River anymore. Don't you keep up on your bounties?" Mal asked, and Phil laughed.

"Not the girl. The doctor. Got put out yesterday. So, just hand 'im over and we won't shoot ya for 'im."

Simon's eyes widened, and Mal's confusion showed on his face for a few moments, but it didn't last long. He cocked his gun and raised it.

"You best be getting' on outta here and forgettin' about that bounty," he warned, feeling a flash of possessiveness go through him. Another gun cocked behind the two men; more accurately, Mac the gun. They didn't even have to look to know who it was.

"They givin' you trouble, Cap'n?" Jayne asked, and both Denny and Phil immediately dropped their weapons.

"Not anymore they ain't," Mal said dryly. "Take 'em outside, Jayne, and see that they get wherever else they're goin'."

"So much for not needing backup," Jayne added as he prodded both men out the door. Mal ignored him, instead turning to face Simon and River.

"What trouble did you two cause this time? I thought the Alliance was finished with you," he pointed out, giving Simon a hard look. "If you ain't told me everything…"

"I haven't done anything," Simon insisted. "I've been on Serenity this whole time, how would I have attracted the Alliance?"

It did seem odd, Mal had to admit that. It had been almost six months since Miranda; why would the Alliance choose now to come after him? And why just Simon and not River as well?

"Come on," Mal said. "We're gonna pick up that shipment, fuel up the ship, and get off this rock. We'll figure this out in the air."

He turned to speak to Tony, only to find that the booth was empty, only a piece of paper left laying by the abandoned drinks. He frowned and picked it up; written on it were the pick up and drop off points for the horses.

"Take off smooth as you can, Zo. We got a live shipment."

He didn't have to tell her twice. She'd helped load the skittish creatures and helped set up the makeshift 'stalls' for them in the cargo bay. During the loading, though, word had spread about what happened back in town, and now the whole crew was on edge.

"What do you make of it?" Zoe asked, maneuvering them back out into the blackness of space.

"Don't know what to make of it," Mal admitted, crossing his arms. "By all logic, the Alliance should be done with him. Even if they did want a piece of him for breakin' his sister out, now seems like an odd time to be throwin' around bounties."

Zoe nodded. "Maybe you should contact Inara. With her contacts, she'll probably know what this is about."

Mal wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. "You keep an eye out. If any ships approach, be ready to hightail it outta there," he said. "We're not takin' any chances till we know what kind of money they're payin' for our doctor."

"Got it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Captain, there's a ship approaching."

Mal sighed heavily, waking up from his until-then peaceful sleep as Zoe's voice crackled over the intercom in his room. He stood up and grabbed his shirt from where he'd thrown it on the ladder, and he climbed out of his quarters and pulled it on as he headed for the bridge.

"Any communication?" he asked Zoe, looking at the ship on the screen; it looked like an older model Alliance ship.

"No sir, nothing yet."

Mal nodded. "Keep me informed. I'll go wake Kaylee in case we need to get out of here in a hurry," he said, starting toward the door. After a few steps, he hesitated and turned around. "Try hailing them. If we appear open they might lose interest. They might be waiting for us to make the first move."

"Yes, Captain."

Mal left the bridge, and moments later he was banging on Kaylee's door. When she opened it and stood at the bottom of the ladder, she was still pulling on a gown over her pyjamas.

"Yeah?"

"We might have to boost up the engines real soon. I want you on watch," Mal said, already heading back up to the bridge.

"What's goin' on?" Kaylee asked, stumbling out into the hallway. Mal didn't turn around.

"Just be ready!"

Zoe's voice came down the hallway. "Captain, I need you on the bridge."

Mal sped up, but then a familiar voice called his name. He turned around to see Simon walking down the hallway toward him. Uninterested in hashing out the present situation with the doctor, he only paused before continuing on, trying to ignore him.

"What's happening?" Simon asked, jogging to catch up with him.

"Just routine, Doc. Go back to your room."

"Routine?" Simon repeated in disbelief. "Define 'routine', because usually the word routine on this ship implies a lot of running, screaming, and blood."

Mal didn't bother to answer; they'd reached the bridge. Zoe had the communicator on, and an Alliance officer sat stiffly in his chair on the other end. Mal immediately grabbed Simon and pushed him away from the screens, keeping him out of the view of the officer.

"Stay right there. Don't move," he hissed, pressing Simon back against the wall before stepping over to join Zoe.

"Can I help you, officer?" he asked the man, his tone arrogant but his posture quite casual.

"You have a fugitive on your ship, Captain Reynolds," the Alliance officer said with a pompous smirk. "You are bound by law to turn him over to us immediately."

"Now, see, there's a problem with that," Mal pointed out. "I'm in charge of this boat, and when a member of my crew does somethin' illegal, I either know about it or I ordered it. And the doctor ain't done nothin' to ruffle your feathers in the past six months. Seein' how that is, I got no reason to be tossin' him to your ship."

The Alliance officer seemed unfazed. "It's classified information, Captain. If you don't turn him over, we'll have to seize your ship and do a search. Any illegal cargo that we find would be more years on your prison sentence, along with harboring a known fugitive."

Just out of sight of the screen, Zoe's hands were moving a few dials, pressing a few buttons, and Mal took notice. He needed to stall a little more, give her more time to prep the engines.

"I'll make you a deal."

The officer sneered. "You aren't in a position to make deals, Reynolds."

"Tell me why you want Doctor Tam and I'll hand him over. Gotta have an explanation for my crew and all when we lose our medic," Mal continued. He saw Simon give him an incredulous look and almost move, but by then the Alliance officer was speaking again, and the words held Simon back.

"That's none of your concern. Suffice it to say that every bounty hunter and Alliance ship in the universe has their sights trained on him, and he won't last more than a week running. It's of no use trying to protect him."

Mal set his jaw, taking on that stubborn posture that was so familiar to his crew.

"You got another thing comin' if you think we're just gonna hand him over."

"Captain, you don't seem to understa-"

Zoe suddenly made a drastic move, putting the ship into motion with a suddenness that sent Mal flying against the back wall of the bridge, and Simon was thrown from his feet and slid into the wall hard next to Mal.

"Hold on to something!" Zoe shouted five seconds too late. She put the ship into a nose dive, going under the Alliance ship and along its underside. Simon pulled himself to his feet and stumbled to the nearest console, grabbing on and holding tight; Mal noticed a cut dripping blood just above his right eye.

_He'll be fine. Concentrate_, Mal ordered himself, switching off the communicator.

"They following?" he asked Zoe.

"Not yet, sir. Ship's too big, it'll take them forever to make the turn."

Serenity jolted and jerked as the Alliance ship shot at them and narrowly missed. Simon was pale by this point, and he paled even more as a realization hit him.

"River!"

With that one word, Simon was headed for the doorway. Mal cursed under his breath.

"Zoe, you get us outta here alive, you got that?"

Without giving her a chance to respond, he took off after Simon. The last thing he needed was for the very person he was trying to protect to die from falling down the stairs during turbulence, or something equally ridiculous.

"Simon! Stop!" he ordered, but the doctor would have none of that when he thought that his little sister might be in danger. The ship jolted below their feet again, knocking Simon off-balance and finally giving Mal an opportunity to catch up and grab Simon by the arm to keep him from going any further.

"You're gonna get yourself killed if you don't strap in!"

"River was sleeping in the cargo bay with the horses when I left her! They get spooked and they'll kill her!" Simon snapped, pulling his arm out of Mal's grip with surprising strength. He took off again, the ship now shaking with the strain of the sudden speed.

Mal chased Simon down to the cargo bay, where the doctor opened the door without a moment's hesitation. _Damn, that boy can really move when he wants to_, Mal thought as the door opened to reveal four very panicked horses who'd broken out of their stalls, and no girl to be seen.

"River!" Simon called out, stepping into the room. Mal cursed again, stepped inside, and closed the door- he wasn't about to have a spooked horse running loose on his ship.

"Simon! Look out!"

Mal and Simon looked up to see River on the upper level, safe and sound, unlike them at the moment. The ship careened suddenly, sending the horses into even more of a frenzy, one headed straight for Simon.

Mal didn't think. He looked for the case of tranquilizer guns they had out here, only to find that they'd slid against the wall. He made a dive for the case, opened it, and tried to load a tranquilizer even as Simon got backed into a corner by a panicked stallion.

Mal heard the snap of the tranquilizer loading, and he lifted it and fired, hoping that he wouldn't accidentally hit Simon- this tranquilizer was meant to put a horse out in seconds, it would probably kill a man in the same amount of time.

The dart met its mark. The horse collapsed a few feet from Simon, who'd had his hands up to protect his face from the rearing creature. Breathing hard, he lowered his arms and stared at the horse as it flailed and slowly faded into unconsciousness.

"Captain, it's a clean getaway," Zoe said over the intercom. "We're out of their range, and they haven't made a move to speed up enough to follow."

River came down the stairs, and Simon rushed to the foot of the stairs to meet her, pulling her into a tight hug. He pulled back, cupping her face in his hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and she nodded before frowning at his forehead.

"You're hurt."

Simon laughed with sheer relief. "It's just a scratch. I'm fine. We're fine, mei-mei."

"You _won't_ be fine if you ever pull a stunt like that again," Mal growled, grabbing Simon by the shoulder and roughly spinning him around. He grabbed him by the front of his shirt, nearly picking him up off the floor. "You could've gotten us both killed, doctor!"

"I had to make sure my sister was alright, you didn't have to come running after me!" Simon shot back, trying to pry Mal's hands off his shirt, with no success.

_No, I didn't. But I did, I had to. _"It would have been pretty gorramn pointless to run from an Alliance ship to save you if you're just gonna go and get yourself killed anyway out of sheer stupidity!"

"I knew what I was doing! I'm all grown up, Mal, I can take care of myself, if you hadn't noticed!"

"Say that again when you're bleedin' to death from your idiocy. All I'll do is say that I told you so," Mal said darkly. For a few moments Simon and Mal stared each other down, neither willing to budge or give in.

"In the meantime…let's get that cut patched up," Mal finally said, his words not matching the anger still in his voice. He let go of Simon's shirt but grabbed onto his sleeve, dragging him toward the infirmary. Simon must've decided that it wasn't a point worth fighting over; he didn't resist.

_Why're you gettin' so worked up over this? _Mal asked himself as they passed other stunned crew members in the hallway who'd heard their shouting match. _You wouldn't be this torn up about any of the others doin' somethin' like that. It's not like I have to protect him anymore, right?_

He pushed the thoughts aside as they reached the infirmary, instead gesturing for Simon to sit down on the bed as he searched through the drawers for what he needed.

"I can handle this, you know. I _am_ a doctor," Simon said as Mal dropped various supplies on the bed beside him.

"Your hands are shaking," Mal pointed out, pretending it wasn't a lousy excuse.

"I'm a surgeon. I can steady myself in stressful situations."

Mal ignored him, instead setting to work cleaning out the shallow wound. The room, for a few moments, fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"You have no idea why the Alliance is after you this time? None at all?" Mal finally asked.

"If I knew, I assure you that I would've told you by now," Simon said, trying to help with the cleaning of the wound. Mal only smacked his hand away.

"If I had to wager on it," he said, putting his free hand in Simon's hair to hold his head still, "I'd say this isn't about Miranda. This is somethin' new."

Simon shrugged. Mal allowed his hand to linger in the doctor's hair, surprised at just how smooth it felt against his calloused, rough hand.

He'd suddenly begun to wonder what it smelled like, with the first curiosity satisfied. Because that's all it was, he insisted to himself: idle curiosity.

He reluctantly moved his hand away, grabbing a bandage and placing it over the cut.

"Help me gather the crew. We need to have a meetin'."

A few minutes later, the crew was gathered at the table, watching as Mal paced one end of the room. Nobody said anything yet; they simply cast furtive glances between Simon and their captain.

"We need to find out what's goin' on, first thing," Mal said, stopping in his pacing and leaning on the back of an empty chair. "So, I figure the best way to do that is to let it come straight from the source."

"We already 'asked' the Alliance," Zoe said with a shrug. "As you can see, that's probably not the best way to go about getting clear answers. They're not gonna tell us a damn thing."

"When they have the big guns behind 'em, sure they didn't tell," Mal pointed out. "Get one of 'em alone and they'll talk."

"And just how're we gonna do that?" Jayne asked, propping his feet up on the table.

Mal's eyes locked on Simon. "Bait."

It took a few moments for it to dawn on the crew what exactly he meant by that, and he could tell it wasn't a popular suggestion with most, though Jayne seemed thrilled at the prospect. In seconds, though, Kaylee was on her feet.

"You can't do that! He's the one they're tryin' to kill!"

Mal's eyes narrowed. "Kaylee, you best not tell me what I can and can't do on my ship."

"But Simon should have a say in it, seein' as it's his life!"

Simon looked up from the tabletop for the first time in the conversation, and all eyes locked on him as he shrugged and spoke.

"I…I think it's a good idea."

The entire table fell utterly silent, and everyone looked at Simon wide-eyed, Mal included.

"You do?" he asked, and Simon nodded.

"I'd rather take the chance and find out why they're after me than keep running and hiding. The more clueless we are, the more danger all of you are in."

Mal recovered from the shock, looking quite pleased. "Then that's that. Zoe, set a course for the nearest Alliance-friendly planet, preferably one where we'll find high ranks wandering about," he said, waiting to hear an argument from someone else. There were none. Evidently Simon agreeing with him had put everyone else into a state of shock.

"I still don't think it's a good idea," Kaylee muttered, standing up and heading for the engine room, no doubt to sulk.

"Guess I better go get some ropes and knives," Jayne said with a smirk. "Gonna hog-tie 'im like cattle when we catch 'im, ey Cap'n?"

Mal watched Simon stand up and straighten his vest. "If all goes well," he said, his mind obviously elsewhere.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"You ready?"

Simon took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Got the plan memorized?"

"Yes, sir."

"And remember, if they start shootin', run away in a zigzag, not a straight line. Harder for 'em to hit you that way."

Simon almost laughed, and he looked up at Mal with one of those smirks he was so good at. "That's the sixth time you've told me that."

Mal shrugged and glanced down at the ground, his crew chuckling behind him. "It's important info, knowin' how not to get shot and all. Just figured I ought to say it a few times to make sure ya hear it."

Jayne slapped his hand down on the button, and the back doors of the ship creaked open to reveal woods. Past that the shining tops of buildings could be seen, probably five minutes of walking to get there. The planet smelled clean and fresh, as if there wasn't even a city nearby.

Zoe had picked this location very carefully. The city was made up of citizens that were so bound on protecting the environment and remaining traditional that they didn't allow hovercrafts or any other type of motorized craft within fifty miles of the city. Though it was an Alliance friendly city and fairly large, everyone got where they were going on horses and old style bikes.

Therefore, it was the perfect place for a planned escape on foot.

"Alright. Kaylee, be ready to close up this bird so we can get off this rock fast. And keep River in line," Mal said, starting down the ramp. Simon hesitated, and then glanced back at River before following Mal.

Jayne and Zoe followed them out, holstering their guns as they walked. Mal went over the plan in his head again, glancing at Simon.

It was a risky, reckless plan, one that put Simon very close to exactly what they were avoiding; his capture by the Alliance. Mal could tell he was nervous. In times like this, the young doctor's facial expressions read like an open book.

"This looks like a good spot, Captain," Zoe said, stopping as they crossed a trail. Mal looked around, and then nodded.

"Set up. If we're not back in half an hour, come lookin' for us."

Simon hesitated again, and Mal put a hand on his shoulder. "You sure you're good with this?"

"I'm fine," Simon said, nodding and starting to walk again. Mal chuckled and followed.

"How's, uh…how's Kaylee doing?" Simon asked after a few moments of silence, and after they were out of earshot of the others.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"I doubt she's too keen on talking to me," Simon said quietly.

"She's suicidal. Plannin' on tossin' herself out the airlock."

"Captain."

"She's doing fine, Doctor. She's a smart girl, she'll work things out," Mal said. "Not to be nosey or anything, but…well, yeah, I'm bein' nosey. Why'd ya cut things off with her?"

Simon shrugged. "Things just didn't work out."

"They were workin' out fine for her."

"If only that went both ways."

Mal looked at Simon curiously and opened his mouth to speak again, but then they reached the edge of the woods. He did a quick check for Alliance soldiers, and then turned back to Simon.

"Remember, make eye contact, then start sprintin'. Don't wait for him to give chase," Mal said. "And try not to be seen by anyone but the mark. That zigzag trick won't work half as well if you got three officers on your tail instead of one."

"And what if they catch me?"

Mal's breath caught in his throat as Simon searched him, blue eyes wide and uncertain.

"We'll come for you. But here's to hopin' we won't have to," he answered, and then he gave Simon a push. "Go on, let's get this done and overwith."

Simon forced a smile, and then left the safety of the trees, taking an alleyway into the town. Mal sighed heavily, leaning back against a tree.

He could only hope that he hadn't sent Simon to his death.

The sound of gunfire about three minutes later alerted Mal to Simon's approach. He pulled his gun and cocked it, watching the alleyway.

Two guns. He could hear two guns firing. They hadn't armed Simon, and Simon would have run instead of shooting back anyway, so that could only mean the doctor had two officers on his tail.

Simon finally appeared, skidding and almost falling as he made his way into the alley. Not far behind him, two officers on horseback steered their horses into the alley.

"_Wo de ma he ta de fong kung de wai sheng dou_," Mal cursed, and then he took aim above Simon's head and pulled the trigger. One of the officers fell off his horse, hit the alley wall, and went down. The other horse reared up, panicking, giving Simon a chance to reach Mal.

"C'mon, get movin'," Mal said, shoving Simon into the woods. They ran back toward where Zoe and Jayne were waiting, the pounding rhythm of horse's hooves never far behind. Simon was near collapse, out of breath, and he stumbled more than once along the way, the horse gaining on them each time. The officer had stopped shooting since they entered the trees, obviously saving his bullets for open ground.

"Here, here," Mal said as he spotted the trail, and they abruptly changed directions to follow it. Unfortunately, the sudden change of direction sent Simon to the ground hard, and Mal was already five steps ahead.

"Simon, move!" he yelled as the horse found the path and started toward them. Dazed, Simon tried to get up only to slip on fallen leaves and hit the ground again.

_You go back and you'll be trampled or shot along with him, _Mal thought, but his feet had already begun to move. He reached Simon's side when the horse was only a few feet away and the officer was drawing his gun.

The horse was suddenly knocked sideways, hit by something that had swung out of a tree- and that something just happened to be Jayne. The horse stumbled sideways and fell, sending the Alliance officer straight into a tree and knocking him unconscious.

Mal laughed with relief and shook his head. "How many horses do I gotta save you from in one day, Doc?" he asked. Simon set his forehead against the ground, gasping for air and shaking. Mal stood up, stepping over near the struggling horse.

"Nice job, Jayne," he said, going around the horse to the officer. "Let's get him tied up and to the ship."

Zoe stepped out of the trees. "So much for the plan, right?" she asked, reaching down to help Simon to his feet.

"Worked, didn't it?" Mal asked. "Come on, let's go. We're on a schedule here."

* * *

"Rise and shine, darlin'."

It was probably a terrifying way to wake up, with a man like Jayne saying those words and simultaneously holding a knife to your chest. Mal stood a few feet away, his arms crossed, and Simon sat on a cot on the other side of the room.

The soldier looked petrified, and yet furious. He tested the ropes on his hands and feet, but they held tight to the chair.

"My commander will notice I'm missing," he said with a desperate tone. Jayne smirked.

"Don't lie. Ain't a good idea in your situation."

"You answer a few simple questions and we'll drop you outta here, safe and sound," Mal said. "Otherwise, I'll let Jayne here have a little fun before we shove you out of the airlock."

The solider swallowed hard, but didn't respond.

"First question: why is the Alliance after Doctor Tam?"

"I don't know."

Jayne's knife slashed across the soldier's thigh, not deep, but certainly painful. Simon winced.

"Try again," Mal said, stepping closer.

"I…I…it's classified information, a-and…"

The knife came up again and the soldier tried to jerk away, but Jayne didn't bring it down yet.

"Somethin' to do with a computer chip!" The soldier shrieked. "I don't know, they said there's a chip in him!"

Mal's interest peaked. "What's on this chip?"

"I don't know, not even my commander knows," the soldier moaned miserably. "It's real important to the Feds, they'll tear him apart to get to it, that's all I know, I swear…"

Mal looked at Jayne. Jayne nodded.

"Good. Knock him out and get him off my ship," Mal said. "Simon, you come with me."

Simon stood and followed Mal out of the room, where Kaylee and Zoe had been standing the whole time, listening in. There was a loud thud from the room, and moments later Jayne came out with the soldier thrown over his shoulder.

"Zoe, as soon as he's dumped the guy, I want to lift off. Somebody's gonna notice he's missing or find his horse, and I don't want to be here when they do."

"Yes, Captain."

"Simon, you got any medical way to find a computer chip in a human body without goin' diggin' for it?"

Simon thought for a moment. "There's got to be some kind of casing around it. A computer chip by itself would be damaged beyond repair by the fluids and acids in the body. If the casing is made out of any kind of material similar to metal, I could use the same instrument that I use to find shrapnel or a bullet."

"Then let's go get that done. If there's a way to remove this chip, I want to get it out of you."

* * *

Only a few minutes later Simon was laying on the bed in the infirmary, and Ma; was preparing to scan him for any kind of object that could possibly contain a computer chip. Simon had the screen set up where he could see it, and Mal began to run the scanner over him, starting with his head.

"Slow down a little," Simon said, frowning at the screen. Mal looked up at the screen, and then he shook his head.

"Don't see how you make sense of it. Looks like dark static to me."

"You'll know it when you see it," Simon said quietly as Mal moved the scanner up and down his arms. Jayne entered the room, making a face at the screen.

"Your blood's black, Doc. Can't be good."

"It's a scan, not a picture," Simon said, and then he blinked a few times in surprise. "Go back," he said, gently putting his hand over Mal's on the scanner and guiding it back over his heart. Mal looked closely at the screen, and then he saw it; a bright white tiny object set closely against what was obviously Simon's heart.

"I'll be damned," Simon said in amazement. "And I never even knew they did it."

Mal stared at the screen. "Can we get it out?" he asked.

"Not unless you know a doctor on the outer planets who's not only willing to defy the Alliance, but is also qualified to crack open my rib cage to get it out," Simon said, and then he continued, amazement and something that sounded like admiration in his voice. "This procedure was highly dangerous, and so precise…in order to get it out, you'd risk damage to the heart muscle…"

Mal sighed, setting the scanner aside, obviously frustrated. "No chance, then."

Simon shook his head. "No chance. If they catch me, they'll kill me first thing, and either burn my body or cut me up to get it out. They won't waste a complicated surgery on a fugitive."

"…I'm gettin' real sick of callin' these crew meetings."

* * *

"The surgery's too risky. Even if a doctor did manage to extract the chip, that still leaves Simon weakened for weeks while he recovers," Zoe explained. "The Alliance would still be after him for that chip, and I know we aren't turning that thing over until we know what's on it.

"We could hide him," Kaylee said. "Drop him off at the Haven, it's all rebuilt and stuff now…"

"Not an option," Mal said. "We're his best protection, and we don't want to bring the Alliance down on them again. Whatever's stored in our human computer here, they'll go to Reaver territory and back to keep it under wraps."

"Maybe we should just go ahead and find a doctor out on the rim who could take a shot at the surgery," Simon suddenly said. "That way, even if they find me…dead or alive…they won't get whatever information is there."

Jayne perked up. "I like that idea," he said, and River gave him a 'look'.

"Noble idea, but we don't do noble unless it's a last resort," Mal said, ignoring Jayne's comment.

"There is one thing we ain't thought of," Kaylee said with a shrug. "We could find out where they keep information on these chip things, break in, and try and find out ourselves what's on it."

"No. No," Simon immediately said. "You are _not_ breaking into an Alliance building on account of me."

"I think the girl's on the right track," Mal said. "Zoe, what do you think?"

Zoe leaned back in her chair. "Risky…but if it works, we may be able to work all this out without reckless surgery on a picnic table or runnin' for months longer. I say we do it."

"Zoe…" Simon started, but Jayne interrupted him.

"How're we gonna do jobs if we're off chasin' computer stuff?"

Mal shrugged. "I'm sure the Alliance has some fancy stuff we could take and barter off. Make the whole thing look like a robbery, maybe they won't think anything more of it."

"Captain, you can't-"

River laid a hand on Simon's arm before he could finish, and the doctor looked down at his feet instead. He stood up and cleared his throat.

"I need to go restock the Penicillin," he said weakly, leaving the room. River followed him.

Mal didn't miss a beat. "Alright, everybody. Get ready for an old-fashioned heist. Zoe, I'm gonna do some active research and find out where we can find this information. In the meantime, set a course for the Core planets."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

When Mal arrived at Simon's quarters, he found the situation of the past few months quite reversed; Simon was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands, and River had her arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him.

"River," Mal said, and she looked up. "Would you step outside for a few minutes? Go entertain Kaylee or somethin'."

River didn't argue. She stood and headed for the door, but on the way she stopped beside Mal and looked at him.

"You'll protect him?" she asked quietly, and though Mal thought it an odd question, he nodded.

"I will."

She seemed satisfied. She left, and Mal closed the door behind her. Simon didn't look up.

"You got a problem with the plan, Doctor?"

"It's suicide."

Mal stepped closer. "You implyin' that I can't handle this job?"

"No, no," Simon said quickly, stuttering to find the right words. "It's just…that's a big risk, you know?"

"Well, your other option is to go for the surgery," Mal said, pulling up the chair from the desk and sitting down. "Do you know how they do that kind of surgery on the outer planets?"

Simon hesitated, uncertain. "Uh…well, no. I guess I don't."

"If you're lucky, the doctor will have an office or agree to use the ship's infirmary. If not, they'll just crack you open on their own bed," Mal explained calmly. "They'll use a butcher knife to slice you open, and once there's a big enough gap they'll stick their hand in and dig around till they find what they're lookin' for. Oh, and you'll be half conscious through all this. Doped up, but aware."

Simon just gaped at Mal for a few moments. "Are you…serious?"

"Oh, dead serious."

"Don't they have any kind of medical training or licensing out here?"

"Most learn the trade from their dad."

"That's…that's crazy."

Mal smirked. "More crazy than sneaking into an Alliance building, in my opinion."

"You found the building?" Simon asked.

"Pulled a few strings, did some digging…the office we're looking for is a research facility in orbit around Osiris."

Simon's face paled. "We're going to Osiris?"

"We're going to Osiris. You're not," Mal said. "We're landing on one of the moons, where you and your sister will stay put while me, Zoe, and Jayne borrow a transporter and get into that facility."

"I should go with you."

"And walk right into their hands? I don't think so."

"I got you into this."

"And as your captain, I'll make sure we all get out of it in one piece."

Simon looked at Mal with a kind of amazement on his face. "I get you into all this trouble and you're still putting yourself in worse situations to help River and I. Why?"

_Because I care about you. _"Because you're on my crew. I'd do the same for any crew member."

Simon didn't look convinced, but he didn't get a chance to question further; they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Captain!" Jayne's voice boomed from outside the door. "I wanna talk."

Mal sighed and stood up, opening the door. "So talk."

"Have you seen the security on this place we're goin'?" Jayne asked. "Bio ident, cards, armed guards, alarm systems, not to mention-"

"I'm well aware of it," Mal said.

"Then why are we goin'?"

Mal's expression hardened. "Because a member of my crew is in danger, and I plan on keeping him safe."

"He weren't even crew till a couple weeks ago," Jayne pointed out, and Simon stood up.

"Can this argument go somewhere else? Please? Because I-"

"Shut it, Doc, before I put a bullet in it," Jayne snapped, and Mal practically snarled, stepping between Jayne and Simon.

"What did I tell you about your attitude toward the doctor and his sister, Jayne?"

"That was before you started turnin' down jobs to save 'em five times a week! We gotta make money, Cap'n, we ain't been doin' that since we got them on board!"

"Are you questioning my commands, Jayne? Cause that could end with you out an airlock," Mal said, his hand going to the handle of his gun, and Jayne didn't take long in cocking the rifle he held.

Simon knew this could get ugly. He stepped around Mal, trying to put himself between the two as they stared each other down.

"Would you two calm down? I think if we just-"

Neither Mal nor Simon saw it coming. Jayne lifted the gun and slammed the butt of it on Simon's chest, knocking the young man to the ground. Within moments, Mal had taken the butt of his gun to Jayne's head, knocking the mercenary out cold.

"Simon," he said, kneeling on the floor next to him. Simon was writhing in pain, his hands clutching his chest. "You okay?"

"J-Just a…blunt force…it's…myocardial contusion…oh, god…" Simon said through gasps, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You're gonna have to speak English," Mal said, moving Simon's hands and unbuttoning the first few buttons on his shirt. He winced as the quickly-bruising skin came into view.

Zoe appeared in the doorway, probably pretty confused at the sight before her, but she managed to not show it for the moment.

"What happened here?"

"Difference of opinions," Mal said, helping Simon to his feet and leading him over to the bed to sit down. "Let's put Jayne in his room and lock it up."

"Yes, Captain," Zoe said.

"You gonna be alright, Simon?" Mal asked, and Simon nodded numbly.

"Just a bruise. I'll be fine."

* * *

It had been two days. Simon had done little more than work in the infirmary and read medical journals that they'd come into possession of on the last planet, and he was pretty happy with that. After the incident with Jayne, he was pretty set on avoiding everyone. 

When Wash announced that they'd landed on the moon and everyone involved should prepare for departure, Simon finally wandered from his quarters. He headed up to the bridge, made sure everyone was off doing other things, and then stepped inside and walked to the windows.

There it was. His past laid out before him, and what could've been his future, were it not for the Alliance's tendency to meddle with people. He would've been there, right now, maybe head surgeon, hell, maybe head of the hospital.

His chest ached, and he wondered if it was the bruising or the longing for a normal life.

"Nice scenery."

Simon spun around, and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that it was only Mal.

"Don't sneak up on me like that…"

"Wasn't sneakin'. You just weren't payin' attention," Mal said, walking forward to stand beside him by the windows. "You went to school here, right?"

"College," Simon said, looking out at the planet. It hadn't changed much at all.

"Mal!" Zoe's voice came down the hallway. "We're ready to go, let's make this fast!"

Simon sighed, and Mal hesitated a few moments before turning around to leave. A few steps from the door, though, Simon called out his name. He turned, and the doctor shrugged and glanced down at his feet.

"Be careful," he said, and then he quickly added, "I don't want to have to treat any bullet wounds when you come back. It's taxing on the supplies."

It was a weak attempt at a joke, but Mal chuckled all the same. "Will do, Doc. You just keep watch. Wash and Kaylee will be goin' into town for engine parts, but they shouldn't be gone long."

"Right."

* * *

It was only a half hour into the operation when Simon knew things had gone terribly wrong. 

He'd used the ship's radio and River's expertise to tune to an Alliance military channel, and he was listening to the idle check-ins and such when an all-points-bulletin came on- one about a possible break-in on the orbiting research facility.

"Should we take them down, sir? Over."

"Negative. Wait for backup. We'll take them by surprise on my word, over and out."

Simon looked around helplessly. How was he supposed to contact them? Or Wash and Kaylee? Somebody had to warn the team that they were about to get ambushed.

"River!"

He rushed downstairs to where his sister was, his whole body feeling quite numb, though his heart was beating in his throat.

"River, you can fly the transporter, right?" Simon asked, even though he knew she could- he'd seen her do it before. "I need you to take me to that facility. I have to warn them, they don't have any time left."

River seemed surprised but nodded, and while she made her way up to the transporter, Simon dug around in the cargo bay and found a gun. Stashing it in his belt, he took the steps two at a time and got in the shuttle.

The flight there seemed to take forever. Simon wondered if he was already too late; if the ambush had already gone down, if they were already taken prisoner. Or maybe he'd get there only to walk into a trap.

He had to try, no matter what. Mal and the others were doing this for him, he wasn't about to let them die doing it.

As soon as they were docked, he opened the door and stepped inside the corridor. No guards; they must've been elsewhere, preparing or carrying out the ambush. River started to follow him out, and he gently pushed her back in.

"No. You go on back to Serenity, I'll come back with the others."

"No, Simon-"

"Don't argue with me this time, please, River," Simon said, but he knew she wouldn't give it up easily. So, instead of arguing more, he gave her a more firm push away from the door, closed it, and pressed his hand down on the button to sever the docking procedure. The transporter fell away slowly, and he turned and took off down the hallway.

_Where are they?_

He heard the sound of gunfire. That, he figured, was the best way to find them- follow the gunshots. He was too late to warn them, but hopefully not too late to help.

He turned a few corners before he finally saw the situation- Mal, Zoe, and Jayne held up in a room full of computers, hiding behind equipment between shots. The soldiers were being very careful not to hit the electronics when they fired; the stuff must've been quite important.

Mal stood up to fire, and one of the soldiers off to the side lifted his gun and took aim. Without thinking, Simon reached for the gun in his own belt, lifted it, and fired in the soldier's general direction, the kick of the gun cutting into his thumb. The shot hit the guy in the arm, knocking him down, and Mal's eyes widened when he saw Simon standing behind the line of Alliance soldiers.

Jayne started shooting again and Simon jumped aside, hiding around the corner again as gunfire ricocheted off every surface. Soon enough, though, the gunfire fell completely silent, and Simon looked around the corner to see every guard down.

"Simon, what in the gorramn hell…" Mal started as Simon stepped over the bodies to get into the room.

"I heard their bulletin on the radio. I was coming to warn you," Simon explained. "I was…a little too late, I guess."

"Saved my life, good enough for me," Mal said, and then he heard footsteps in the hallway. "Let's find a way out, people. We got what we came for."

Gunfire again. Mal yanked Simon down behind a desk as the bullets hit the metal around them.

"Stay down, Simon. Don't you move an inch," he ordered, and then he raised up long enough to get off a few shots and duck down again. From Simon's position, he could see where Jayne had taken cover, a desk further toward the door and lower.

He winced as bullets the desk he was hiding behind, but Mal didn't flinch. He only waited a few moments, and then returned fire. Simon heard a cry of pain from Jayne, and then the gunfire once again ceased.

"I have to go help him," Simon said, trying to see Jayne, who'd fallen.

"Stay put, it may not be over," Mal said, looking over the top of the desk.

"And he may be dying," Simon hissed, and then he stood up to go to Jayne's assistance.

He didn't have any time to react between the sound of the bullet leaving the gun and when it felt like a sledgehammer hit him in the chest. He stumbled back against a row of computers, at first not sure what had happened- and then he brought his hand to his chest, and it came away soaked in blood.

There was no pain at first. Just shock. But when the pain came, Simon was gasping, sliding down to the floor, his entire body shaking.

He heard someone scream his name, more gunfire, but it was all fuzzy. Didn't matter. Just voices now, like River's voices, saying everything all at once and not making a bit of gorramn sense.

"Simon? Simon, you hang in there, you hear me? That's an order."

Something suddenly pressed down on his chest and a scream tore from Simon's lips, and he blinked a few times to see Mal over him. He shuddered, practically convulsing in the pain, able to taste the blood in his mouth and throat.

_Massive hemothorax…cardiac tamponade…so many…but I can't…_

"Ssh, Simon, don't try to talk," a female voice said. Zoe.

"But…I-I wasn't…"

"Save your strength."

_It's bad._

"River. You n-need…to…she'll…"

The pressure on his chest increased, though the pain was fading fast. "Don't you say that, Simon, you're gonna be there to watch your sister. Hell, I think you're the only one who can understand what she's sayin' half the time anyway."

Beyond that, Simon didn't understand anything else. He was cold, so cold, and he couldn't make sense of anything. His neurons fired random impulses, memories…in the throes of death, probably.

_Ran all this way to die with a bullet in your chest._

_

* * *

_

"We have to get out of here, sir. There'll be more coming," Jayne said, standing guard near the door, his shoulder bleeding from a bullet graze. Mal nodded, watching as Simon slipped away, now unconscious. He picked up the young doctor as gently as he could, trying to keep pressure on the wound at the same time.

"Back to the transporter. They don't know which one we came in on," he ordered, his voice hoarse. They started walking back toward the shuttle.

"He needs a doctor right now, Mal. He's going to bleed out on us."

"You think I don't know that?"

"I know you know that. Serenity _has_ no other doctor, and he can't fix that himself."

"What the hell would you suggest then? An Alliance doctor who'll rip out that chip and leave him for dead?" Mal snapped, holding Simon closer to him.

Zoe shook her head. "I have an idea. You'll hate it, but there's no Alliance involved and it may save him."

All it took for Mal were the words 'it may save him'. "Let's do that then."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Mal was surprised at how calm he could manage to be. He was falling apart inside, warm blood was soaking his shirt, and yet he managed to keep walking, one foot in front of the other, all the way to the shuttle.

Once inside he headed straight for the communicator, and he laid Simon down on the floor. He paused a moment to access the situation.

Simon didn't have much time left. He'd lost too much blood too fast, and gone into shock. Mal had never even seen a man on the battlefield survive this kind of wound.

Moving aside, he allowed Jayne to keep pressure on the wound while he turned on the communicator and hailed Inara. Zoe already had the shuttle off, flying back toward Serenity. Inara soon appeared on the screen in her nightgown.

"Mal? I honestly didn't expect-"

"No pleasantries today. I have a favor to ask."

Inara frowned. "I'm not sure what I can…are you covered in _blood_?"

"Simon's been shot. He's dying."

Her eyes widened. "What happened? No, nevermind that. What do you need me to do?"

"He needs a doctor. A doctor who won't turn him over to the Alliance."

Inara typed for a few moments on her computer. "Where are you?"

"Osiris."

She typed more. "Can he make it to Persephone?"

"That's eight hours of flight. He'll be dead in under one. You're gonna have to do better than that, 'Nara, we're depending on you here."

"Okay. Just a second," she stared at the computer screen, obviously reading something. "I'm going to have to break communication. I may have something, but it's a long shot, and I need to talk to them first."

"Do it."

The screen went black. Mal kneeled down next to Simon, taking him off Jayne's hands.

"Sir, his chances of making it…" Zoe stared as Jayne wiped blood off on his pants.

"He'll make it. Even if we have to go to Persephone," Mal said stubbornly, using the back of his hand to brush Simon's hair back from his face. Zoe and Jayne shot him curious looks, and he backtracked. "Can you imagine what kind of hell his sister would put us through if he didn't live? He'll make it."

The screen flickered, and Inara once again came into view. Mal stumbled to his feet, leaving Simon in Jayne's hands once again.

"What's the news?"

Inara smiled. "Head for the second moon, quadrant five. There's a large grey building right by the lake in that quadrant. Go in the back door. Doctor Sparks will meet you there and have him team prepped for surgery."

Zoe changed the ship's direction, heading toward the directed location. Mal sighed with relief. "I can't thank you enough," he said.

"The only thanks required is that sweet young man pulling through," Inara said. "You make sure he does, you hear me?"

"He will."

_Gorrammit, he will._

_

* * *

_

Mal waited with River outside the operating room for three hours.

River was an emotional wreck. She kept babbling, making no sense to anyone but Mal. Mal understood exactly how she felt- he felt about the same, after all. He leaned against the wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his head pounding with pain from stress.

"How are things?" Zoe asked, and Mal looked up. She handed him a cup of coffee, and he took it with an appreciative nod.

"Don't know. Haven't heard anything yet," he said.

"And River?"

Mal glanced down the hall to where River sat leaning against the wall, her head in her hands. "I'm not sure. She seems pretty bad."

"She knew he was hurt before we even told her," Zoe said quietly. "Said she felt it, in her mind, and in her heart. Said she heard him call for her."

"M'not surprised," Mal said with a shrug.

The door to the operating door suddenly opened, and the doctor came out, his smock soaked in blood. Mal took a deep breath, and just moments later, River was standing by his side.

"Captain Reynolds," the doctor said in greeting. "Doctor Tam had massive internal hemorrhaging, flooded his chest cavity with blood. We managed to place a drain, repair most of the damage, and extract the bullet."

"He'll be okay?" Zoe asked.

"It's fifty-fifty," Doctor Sparks said. "I've done as much as I can for him. The next twenty four hours will likely decide it."

"Cap'n!"

Mal turned to see Jayne running down the hallway. "What?"

"Alliance may've spotted us, we need to go _now_.

Mal cursed, turning back to Doctor Sparks. "Is he stable enough to move to our infirmary?"

"It would be risky, but yes, I suppose-"

"Good. Do it," Mal ordered. "River, come on. Let's go."

The girl didn't move. She was muttering at her feet, once again uttering nonsense. Mal took her by the arm and started walking her to the ship.

"Your brother's going to be fine," he said to her as they walked. "He'll be just fine, we just need to get him away from Osiris."

"Because you're the captain," River said, seeming dazed.

"That's right."

"Because… you lo-"

"Let's go!" Zoe said as she passed them. Mal led River out the back door and into the waiting ship, and then he stood at the cargo bay, waiting to direct the medics to their infirmary.

* * *

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Mal was sitting in the infirmary, his elbows propped on the edge of the bed. The machines all relayed the same information: stable, but weak.

"Captain, dinner's ready," Zoe said softly from the door. Mal shook his head.

"Not hungry."

"Where's River?"

"Finally asleep," Mal explained. "I took her to her room."

Zoe nodded, and then hesitated. She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. "Sir, you weren't even like this when Kaylee went down."

"This is a bit more serious than what happened to Kaylee."

"It did have good results, in one way."

Mal looked up at Zoe incredulously. "Good results? What in the gorramn hell could possibly be good about this?"

Zoe reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of paper towels. Unfolding it slowly, she revealed a white egg shaped object about the size of a strawberry.

"During surgery the doctor stumbled on this and removed it," she said, and Mal stood up and walked to her, taking it from her.

"It's that computer chip," he said, studying it closely. "This is what the Alliance was looking for."

"And not only do they not know that we have it, but they most likely think Simon Tam is a dead man," Zoe pointed out. "Both of which work to our advantage."

"Unless he really does die," Mal muttered, looking back at the lifeless figure on the bed.

"He's a fighter. He won't die when he knows his sister is still here to protect. Gives him something to live for," Zoe said, walking over to look down at Simon. Mal followed her, standing on the other side of the bed.

"Why didn't he listen to me and stay the hell down?" Mal asked under his breath, shaking his head.

"It's not in his nature to leave a man suffering. Even a man like Jayne," Zoe joked. "But, on a more serious note, Captain…what's our next move?"

Mal thought for a minute, and then he opened his hand to look at the white capsule again. "We look at the information we stole from the facility. It should tell us how to open this thing. We need to find out what was so important that they had to hide it away in a respected citizen."

Zoe nodded. "We'll get started on that straight away, sir. Anything else?"

"Not now."

Zoe touched Simon's arm gently, and then she turned and left the room. Mal sank back down into the chair by the bed, watching Simon's face for any signs of life.

Nothing.

* * *

Mal woke up to something squeezing his hand. He lifted his head, realized that he'd fallen asleep leaning on Simon's bed, and also realized that the squeezing of his hand had been Simon's hand.

"Hey, you're awake," Mal said groggily, and Simon nodded, though even that movement was weak.

"What happened?" Simon asked, his voice hoarse.

"You got shot."

"Y-Yeah…is J-Jayne okay?"

Mal almost laughed. "Jayne is fine. It was only a graze. You, on the other hand, gave us quite a scare."

"Should be d-dead."

"Should be. Thanks to Inara's unending contacts, we found a doctor who could save you," Mal explained. "Same doctor got that computer chip out of your chest."

Maybe if he hadn't been drugged, Simon might have seemed more surprised. As it was, though, he just nodded and slurred, "That's good…wh-where's River?"

"She's asleep. She's fine. Worried to all hell about you, but fine," Mal said. "You need to stop worryin' 'bout everyone else and go back to sleep. You need your rest."

By the time Mal finished the sentence, Simon was already asleep again. Mal felt the doctor's hand relax over his.

"You'll be fine…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"What do you mean, we can't open it?"

Kaylee and Zoe exchanged nervous glances. "The casing is unbreakable, sir. Can't bust it open," Kaylee said.

"It said in the information we stole that the only way the capsule can be opened is if it's put back in the machine it was sealed in. A specific unnamed combination of chemicals melts the casing," Zoe explained further.

"Gorrammit. And this machine, it's in that building we was just in?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, that settles that," Jayne said, leaning back in his chair. "He's a dead man."

"We're going back."

Everyone looked at Mal in disbelief, and there was a pregnant pause before Zoe had the nerve to speak.

"We're doing _what_, sir?"

"We're going back. Simon won't be out of danger until we find out what's on that chip and do something about it. So, that's what I plan to do."

"They've probably doubled security, sir."

Mal shook his head. "No, they won't. They'll find that disc missing and assume we got what we came for. They won't expect us to hit the same place twice in a week."

"Bullshit," Jayne snapped. "I ain't goin' back there. You wanna fuck the doc, fine, just don't get us killed over it."

"What did you say?" Mal asked, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. Jayne stood up, stepping over to Mal.

"You'da never done this for me. Not for Kaylee, not even Zoe. Admit it. The only reason you're doin' all this is cause you wanna get on the doc's good side so he'll let you bend him over a table and fuck that pretty a-"

Mal didn't even realize he'd punched Jayne until he heard the man hit the floor. Breathing hard, fists clenched in fury, he looked up at the other members of the crew, who looked afraid to even move.

"Anyone else wanna argue about this plan?" he asked, and nobody said a word, not even Jayne. "Good. Zoe, turn this ship around."

Without waiting for an affirmative answer, Mal turned and walked out.

What scared him most was that he hadn't punched Jayne because the man called him sly; it was because he'd talked that way about Simon.

* * *

Mal went back to the infirmary, surprised to see that Simon was sitting up, inspecting a half-empty bottle of medication he'd picked up from the bedside table. He looked groggy, dazed, but better than before.

"You gave me 30 cc's of-"

"Simon. No doctor talk until you're recovered," Mal said, taking the bottle from Simon's hands and setting it back on the table beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Simon thought about that one for a moment, obviously still woozy from being drugged up. "Pretty good, considering…"

"Considering that bullet hole in your chest."

"Precisely."

"Maybe you should try eatin' somethin'," Mal offered, and Simon winced and shook his head. Mal picked up a glass of water from the bedside table and pushed it at him. "Alright then, drink some water. You doctors are always sayin' how important fluids are and all."

Simon almost laughed, but even that seemed to cause too much pain to bear. He took the glass, taking a few sips.

"I'm sorry I…didn't listen to you. I should have," he said, his voice still drowsy, and Mal smirked.

"You should have. But that's all gone and done now. Think you learned your lesson anyway."

"That's the truth," Simon muttered sleepily. "How's River?"

"Better than you," Mal pointed out.

"She made soup, too," a voice came from the doorway, and River stepped into the room, carrying a bowl of hot soup. Simon positively grinned at the sight.

"River…I told you I wasn't hungry," he said affectionately, and she set the bowl down.

"You need to eat. You haven't eaten for two days, you'll heal slower if you're malnourished," she said quietly, setting the bowl down on the table and lifting a spoonful of soup to Simon's lips. Simon sipped at it dutifully.

"She's got a point," Mal said, crossing his arms. It felt strange, saying that about a girl who'd seemed off her rocker less than a month ago.

"You two shouldn't gang up on me when I'm drugged," Simon said weakly, but with a smile. At that moment, there was a slight shift- it was obvious that Zoe was putting the ship in a sharp turn.

"What's going on?" Simon asked, his voice barely there. He was nearly unconscious again.

"We're going back to Osiris," Mal explained. "Unfinished business. Don't you worry about it, just rest."

"But…I…"

"Don't make me sedate you, Simon."

The threat really wasn't even needed. Simon was already looking like he was falling back asleep. "You never call me Simon…" he said, his voice quiet and slurred. Mal looked down at the floor, avoiding River's eyes.

"Today's a little different. Go to sleep," Mal said, and then he looked at the soup River had brought. "Put that in a stasis, kiddo. It'll need to be warm for when he wakes up again."

Mal started to walk toward the door, but River's voice halted him.

"Why don't you tell him?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Tell him what?"

"That you care so much."

Mal paused, and then he continued walking. "It's not necessary. Just store the gorramn soup."

* * *

_Jayne is wrong. I don't harbor no sly thoughts for Simon. He's the ship's doctor, it's important that he stays alive so he can patch us up, that's all it is._

Of course, no matter how many times Mal told himself that, something nagged at the back of his mind about it. Maybe how comfortable Simon's hand in his had felt; maybe the fury that had flashed through him when Jayne insulted the doctor. It was hard saying what exactly it was, but whatever it was, it was unsettling.

He hated being uncertain.

He rolled over in his bed, groaning and squeezing his eyes shut tighter. With all these stray thoughts, sleep refused to come. Jayne's insults repeated in his mind, and River's insightful comments as well.

He kept wondering, why Simon? Why stick the chip in a citizen? It actually made a morbid kind of sense, though, and the situation was eerily similar to River's. The chip had been implanted back when Simon was a surgeon, a pillar of society. The Alliance never would have expected a genius trauma surgeon with a bright future to make a run for it and become a fugitive. They expected him to stay put, making his loads of money the rest of his life.

Just like they never expected that River would escape. Once again, they'd had a plan that seemed all good and well, and the anomaly that was the Tam siblings screwed it up for them.

The ship suddenly lurched, almost sending him off the bed. In moments he was on his feet and headed for the ladder, taking it up as fast as his tired feet would carry him.

"What's going on?" he demanded as he burst onto the bridge. Zoe glanced at him.

"Warning shot. There's an Alliance ship on our tail."

Mal looked at the screens, considering. "We can't hide Simon. If we let them board, they'll find him. Make a break for it."

"Yes, sir."

Zoe started speeding up, and Mal left the bridge, going back to the engine room to find that Kaylee was already there.

"You know she always tells me when somethin's wrong," Kaylee explained in answer to Mal's questioning look. "I felt that shift and I knew she'd need a boost."

"That's my girl," Mal said with a smirk, patting Kaylee on the shoulder. "We're gonna need a big push here. Alliance on our tail."

"You got it, Captain."

The ship suddenly jerked and spun halfway around, and alarms and warning lights started going off all over the engine room. Mal cursed and raced back up to the bridge. "What the gorramn hell just happened!"

"They decided the warning shot wasn't good enough, sir," Zoe said, fighting to get the ship moving in the right direction again. "We have heavy damage to one of our engines and to the buffer panels."

"Where's the closest planet?"

Zoe glanced at a nearby screen with a map up. "Not too far. We could make it."

"Do a death spin and head for the planet. If we can't make it there try for one of the moons."

"What about the Alliance ship?"

Mal looked back toward the engine room, and then he whistled to get Kaylee's attention. "We need a cloak, kid. Can you manage?"

Kaylee nodded, breathless, every inch of exposed skin covered in engine oil. Mal turned back to Zoe. "In about ten seconds, the Alliance will see nothing but debris."

* * *

They barely managed to make it to the moon of the planet, let alone the planet itself. Fortunately, Kaylee's trick worked, and the Alliance thought Serenity had taken a hard tumble to the planet's surface.

"This'll take at least a couple days to fix, Captain," Kaylee said, inspecting the engine that had been hit. "And we'll need replacements for this here-"

"Get whatever you need. We can't stay here long," Mal said. "Just get her fixed as fast as you can."

Kaylee put her hands on her hips, looking around, seeming to be listing everything that needed to be done in her mind. "Sure thing, Captain. I'll have her in the air sooner'n you can say shiny."

"Well, look who's out and about," Zoe said from where she stood nearby. Mal followed her gaze to the doors of the ship, and saw that Simon had ventured out into the sun, wearing only pants and the bandages on his chest. He looked dazed, but more aware than he'd been since the shooting.

"Ain't it a mite early for you to be up on your feet, Doc?" Mal asked, and Simon nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"Then…why are you…"

"Doctors are the worst patients, Captain," Simon pointed out with a weak smile. "Where are we?"

"Crash landed on the way back to Osiris," Mal explained, and Simon looked confused.

"Osiris? We're going back to Osiris?"

"What, you don't remember me tellin' you about it?"

"Sir, the effects of pain blocking drugs on the nervous sys-"

"You were doped up, right," Mal said, nodding. "We didn't finish the job on Osiris. We have to go back."

Simon frowned. "What do you mean, didn't finish the job?"

Mal looked around, and then he took Simon by the arm, gently leading him just inside the ship. "That capsule has to be opened in their machines. Their machines are back in that office."

"You don't have to do that," Simon said, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous to go back there. The Alliance thinks I'm dead anyway, and-"

"I don't recall opening this up for debate," Mal said firmly, setting his jaw. Simon hesitated, and then nodded.

"Right. So, uh…sure," he said, and then he turned and started to head back toward the infirmary. Mal watched him start to go, and he felt something pulling at his mind, something telling him to not let it end on that note.

"Simon," Mal said, and the doctor stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Captain?"

"I'm…M'glad to see you're doing better."

Simon looked at Mal as if he'd just said Reavers were warm and fuzzy creatures, and then he nodded again.

"Thanks, Mal. Er…sir. Captain," he stuttered, and then he smiled sheepishly and left the hallway. Mal didn't even notice when Zoe stepped into the hallway and stared at him a few moments.

"Captain," she said, quirking an eyebrow. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face and come help us with the compression coil."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Every time I see you another disaster has happened."

Mal looked up from the engine console he'd been helping Kaylee with, surprised to see Inara standing behind him. He jumped down off the ladder, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"Ambassador," he said with a teasing tone. "What brings you to this little moon?"

"I came to see Simon. I was worried," Inara explained with a shrug. "He's doing well. Much better than I'd feared."

"He's a tough kid."

An awkward silence fell, and then Inara cleared her throat. "Would you mind walking with me? I'm on my way to meet a client, but I would like to talk with you more."

Mal set the wrench down on Kaylee's toolbox. "You heard the woman, Kaylee. If you need me, use the radio."

"Sure thing, Captain!"

Inara started walking, leading Mal onto a forest path. They'd landed the ship in a clearing, so the only way to actually get to town was through the surrounding forest. It wasn't a bad hike; plenty of scenery made up for the inconvenience. It was basically a nature preserve set aside on this moon, creeks, lakes, animal life and all.

"You seem different," Inara said softly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "More worried than you usually are about a job."

"Who told you about what we're doin'?"

Inara smiled. "I had a long conversation with Zoe."

Mal nodded. "I don't think she likes the plan."

"She doesn't like the odds, but she knows it's necessary."

"Yeah, well, most of my crew doesn't agree."

Inara chuckled. "They're just confused, Mal. They've never seen you care for someone so much."

"Why does everyone in the 'verse think I got some sorta sly feelin's for Simon?" Mal asked, frustrated, stopping on the path and crossing his arms.

"I never said that."

"You implied it! Everyone's implyin' it!"

"Do you?"

Mal faltered. "…do I what?"

"Have feelings for Simon."

"What? No! Didn't I just say that? He's a crew member, he's the doctor, and-"

"And that's a logical reason for putting yourself and the rest of your crew at risk in order to unravel this mystery?"

Mal's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't you dare question my decisions with my ship."

"All I'm saying is that you seem to care more than you'll admit. I don't understand why you see that as such a bad thing," Inara said, starting to walk again. Mal seethed for a few seconds, then followed.

"I ain't sly."

"Of course you're not."

"Don't patronize me!"

Inara laughed. "I was _agreeing_ with you."

"You didn't mean it. You had that tone."

"Do you always have to pick a fight?"

Mal fell silent, fuming, but deciding against continuing the debate. He was sick and tired of hearing about it by now.

Of course, that was because he couldn't help but wonder if Inara was right.

* * *

"Hey Simon!"

Simon turned around, not quite sure if he was hearing things or not. But there stood Kaylee in the infirmary, covered from head to toe in engine grease, a strange smile on her face. He turned away from the counter, where he'd been dosing out Penicillin into smaller vials.

"Kaylee…hi," he said, forcing cheerfulness to cover his confusion. Kaylee hadn't come to see him alone since he's broken things off with her. In fact, he couldn't honestly remember the last time she'd spoken directly to him.

"I, uh…I kinda cut myself workin' on the engine back there n'all," Kaylee said sheepishly, unwrapping a dirt rag from around her right forearm. Simon winced at the deep cut, which now had dirt and grease rubbed into it from the towel.

"Come sit down. I'll have to clean that out," he said, pulling on gloves and collecting the supplies he needed. Kaylee sat down on the bed, swinging her legs and looking around the room.

"So…you feelin' better?" she asked.

"Much better, thanks," Simon said, taking hold of her arm and beginning to clean out the wound. She winced and hissed in pain.

"Cap'n told you were headed back to Osiris, right?"

"That he did."

Cue uncomfortable silence. Kaylee shifted her weight nervously as Simon began to prepare to stitch the wound.

"Look, Simon…if he ever does you wrong, or raises a hand to you, I've got your back. No hard feelings. And the rest of the crew's there for you too."

Simon frowned, starting to stitch up the cut. "What are you talking about?"

Kaylee snorted. "Don't play dumb. I'm talkin' about the captain, of course! Anyone can see plain as day that he fancies you. Everyone on the crew knows," she said, and then she paused, seeing the stunned, wide-eyed look on Simon's face. "You…_did_ know, didn't you?"

Simon opened his mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again. "Well…no, I can't say that I did."

"Oh. _Oh_," Kaylee stuttered, looking around the room nervously as Simon tied off the stitches. "So you didn't…you weren't…geez, I'm sorry…"

"It's okay," Simon muttered, his mind still chewing on what she'd said. Kaylee stood, started to say something, shrugged, and then fled the room.

* * *

"I don't like it."

Mal smirked. "I do believe that's the fifth time you've said that, Zoe."

"It's reckless. If we're caught, they'll have us on both charges. We'll lose the ship."

"They won't catch us. I have a better escape plan this time."

A new voice interrupted the conversation. "And what might that be?"

Zoe and Mal turned simultaneously to see Simon standing in the doorway. Zoe smiled.

"What are you doing out and about this late, Doctor?"

"River was having trouble," Simon said, taking a few steps inside. "I just got her to sleep. I heard you talking, and…well, I'd like to hear about the plan."

"I'm not seein' how it concerns you, considerin' you ain't goin'," Mal said sternly, and Simon looked truly hurt.

"Maybe it concerns me because it's my head they're after."

"And they think you're dead. Nothin' to worry your pretty head on."

Simon's fists clenched, and Zoe gave Mal a look. Before Mal could say another word, though, Simon had left the room.

"Why do you have to be so hard on him?" Zoe asked, and Mal turned away from the door.

"I treat him just the same as I do anyone else on this crew."

Zoe laughed. "No you don't. You _protect_ him."

"He's on my crew, of course I-"

"You don't tell him everything," Zoe accused, not allowing him to finish. "You treat him as if he can't handle the truth. Or as if you don't want him to have to handle the truth. He's young, Mal, but he's _strong_."

Mal scowled. "There are just some things he doesn't need to know."

"If you truly care about him, you'll tell him everything, good and bad."

Mal threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Not you too! Gorramn, are you gettin' these outrageous ideas from Inara?"

"I didn't have to, sir. Just let me say one thing, then I'll be done with it," Zoe said, taking a step closer to Mal. "I know you. You'll wait until it's one second too late to admit this. You'll wait until you've lost him before you decide to give in. At least I got time with the man I love; if you wait, you may not get that."

Zoe walked past Mal and out of the room. At the same time, though, Kaylee was walking in.

"She's ready to go," Kaylee said, and Mal nodded.

"Good. Let's get off this rock."

"We can't."

Mal quirked an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Simon just left the ship. Said somethin' about finding something decent to eat."

"Gorramnit."

* * *

Mal didn't find Simon at any place to eat. He actually found him just off the trail along the way, sitting on a rock that jutted over the flowing creek. He paused, and then he stepped out onto the rock, standing behind Simon.

"Serenity's ready."

"Well, I'm not."

Mal lifted his chin. "I don't recall givin' you a choice, Doc. We're shippin' out."

Simon didn't answer. He tossed another pebble into the creek. Mal muttered a few more curses, taking a few more steps forward and kneeling down next to Simon.

"Alright. What's the problem here?"

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just the one who got shot because of a damn computer chip. No need to tell me a thing," Simon said, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. Mal sighed.

"Okay, you want the truth? There is no plan. We're goin' in same way as last time, doin' the same thing, and gettin' out the same way."

Simon stared at Mal in disbelief. "That's…idiotic."

"That's the way I do things."

Simon hesitated, and then he looked back down at the creek below. "Let me come."

Mal laughed. "I don't think so."

"Let me come or I stay put, right here."

"I'll drag you back to the ship."

"No you won't."

Mal ignored that assertion. "Why do you wanna go, anyway?"

Simon smirked. "That machine is likely highly sensitive, and very finely tuned. You'll need me."

"What are you now, a mechanic?"

"No…but I did have to take advanced chemistry courses. The machine mixes chemicals. I'm your best shot at knowing how to work it."

Neither moved or spoke for a few moments; an old fashioned standoff. Then, Mal stood. "Fine. But don't come cryin' to me when they shoot you in the foot or somethin'."

_Or when they kill you._

Mal offered his hand to Simon, who took it and pulled himself to his feet. He momentarily wavered, off balance, which brought he and Mal dangerously close. There was a long pause, and Mal didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until Simon regained his bearings and moved away. An opportunity missed.

"Come on. Should probably head back," Simon said, turning and starting back down the path. Mal sighed, rubbed the back of his neck, and then slowly started down the path.


End file.
